MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexican police have arrested three taxi drivers in Puerto Morelos, just south of the resort town of Cancun, for threatening a tourist for using a ride-hailing app.
Resorts on Mexico's Caribbean coast have had traditional cab drivers for years harass and even beat tourists who use Uber and other ride-sharing apps, and they have attacked and damaged cars used by ride-sharing drivers.
In videos posted on social media on Wednesday, the drivers can be seen preventing an English-speaking tourist from getting into the ride-sharing car.
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“It's not possible … you can't take Uber because we're going to call the police, we're going to block you, and you're going to be in trouble too,” they say in their ' video.
Prosecutors said that one of the drivers involved in what happened on Wednesday was suspected of having drugs. The other two drivers were being held pending unspecified charges. Prosecutors also proposed revoking their taxi licenses and driver's licenses.
Ride-hailing apps were banned in Cancun until 2023, when a court granted an injunction allowing Uber to operate.
The state prosecutor's office said “any action that endangers the safety of local residents and domestic or international tourists will not be covered up or much less tolerated in Quintana Roo,” the state where Cancun and Puerto Morelos are located.
Traditional cabs in the area charge very high fares and are highly competitive with cheaper alternatives. Some taxi drivers have also been involved in drug rings.
Earlier this year, prosecutors were arrested two taxi drivers who took part in the beating of two German tourists outside a club in the resort of Playa del Carmen, further south of Cancun. The drivers were charged with drug possession after they were found to be carrying marijuana and cocaine in their taxis.
In 2023, Violent clashes broke out between traditional taxi drivers and those who work for riding apps. High taxi fares have long been a topic of discussion in Cancun.
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Continue AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
